I’ve been very stressed out the past week or so. I’m really getting into the swing of writing, I’ve got some momentum going, and WHAM!! Fifty-gazillion things that I have to get ready for my wedding–things I’ve been putting off–seem to crash down on me all at once (this is why you pay someone to organize your wedding).
For anyone who’s gotten married and planned it themselves, you know what I’m talking about. Everyone else, just imagine this: you’ve been given the task of organizing and running a presidential speech with dinner…from scratch…and you know nothing about organizing events, the president, or anything else remotely related. In addition, you have a tiny budget that you can’t go over no matter what.
So, imagine yourself in that position. Now, you have to figure out what should happen, what resources you need, and who to contact to get them. You have to decide who you need to invite (not too many, but heaven forbid you should forget to invite the French ambassador!!), how to get it announced, what decor to use, what the menu should be, what clothes/colors all the important people should wear, who you should hire to do everything (sound, lights, food, security, etc.) that will do a good job but still be in your budget. Oh, and did I mention that it is all OUTSIDE, so you have to worry about weather, temperature, running power cords outside, lights, and more. Now imagine all those tiny details, that you know little about but it’s up to you to decide on them and make them happen, like a thousand crows flying around your head squawking and pecking at you, trying to suffocate you with their weight.
I don’t feel quite as bad as all that, but it’s close ;). Fortunately for me I have very helpful and supportive sisters, mother, and friends, so I’ll get it all done and I’m sure everything will be fine. But it doesn’t FEEL that way. It feels overwhelming, and feelings are important. They are very subjective (if I FEEL you are mean, it doesn’t mean you objectively are, just that to me, it feels that way), but since they are OUR feelings, you and me, and since it affects the way we see and react to the world around us, they are very important.
Feelings are essential to keep in mind when you write. Your characters must have feelings, and those feelings must be relatable and realistic. Maybe not rational all the time, but relatable and realistic. They have to make sense in the situation and they have to be something your reader can relate to. The fastest way you can bore a reader is having a shallow, one-dimensional character that either doesn’t feel much, or their feelings are cookie-cutter, neat, and convenient for the story. Feelings are not convenient, and in real life there’s never a situation where someone doesn’t feel conflict, uncertainty, fear, etc. They may get over it, overcome it, or ignore it, but they still feel it. And that feeling will affect how they act.
One of the hardest things is to write about the feelings your character is having in a dire situation that you’ve never been in and have a hard time imagining. Its important that you get the feelings right. After all, it wouldn’t do to have your hero who’s about go on a suicide mission thinking “Oh, well this is scary, I hope everything works out”. You need gut feelings, tension, and wrenching descriptions. The reader needs to be transported into that characters mind and feel what they are feeling. How can you do this? Two things: a vivid imagination, and experience.
First of all, as a writer, you probably already have a vivid imagination. So use it! When I’m writing about a character, I often close my eyes and literally put myself into my story as my main character. I forget everything around me, and imagine the scenario they are in (suicide mission, important test, confrontation with my arch enemy, going to my mother’s funeral, or what-have-you). Often my body will react to what I imagine, my stomach clenching or tears coming to my eyes, depending on the situation. When you write about your character, include these physical reactions and the thoughts that would be racing through their head. No it won’t be perfect, but putting in this level of detail adds veracity and believability to your character. It helps your readers sympathize with them more. Yes, it may be difficult to do this mental exercise, but I strongly believe it’s important for a writer to be able to imagine themselves into their story (if they can’t, what makes them think their readers can?). If you can’t do it now, practice, and you’ll get the hang of it.
Second, as a writer, you should generally stick to the rule of: write what you know. Now this doesn’t mean don’t ever learn new things or branch out, but that generally you write about things you’re familiar with. It helps you to make your story believable and likable. When you write about things that are close to your heart and mind, you’ll write about them with more passion and interest. Plus, you’re less likely to make a rookie mistake about facts or feelings in a situation you know nothing about. If you do feel the urge to write about something you have little experience in, then get experience!! This could be a combination of doing new things, conducting lots of research/reading, and talking to people who have had that experience. Research is extremely important in a writer’s career, since we obviously can’t do everything we want to write about, and we often write about completely made up things! Even if your scenario is fiction, find other things similar to it (i.e. X-wing fighters=jets) and study that.
In summary, It is important to understand, and relate through your writing, the feelings of your character. You have to have an idea of what it would really be like, either through imagination or experience, and your writing needs to reflect that aspect of reality and believability, even if your situation is fictional. Feelings don’t always have to be rational, they just have to believable. Though everyone is unique, we are all humans and all, by in large, feel the same kinds of things. Find those universal feelings, those timeless struggles, and put them in your story (just watch our for cliches!).
Thank for reading everyone, enjoy your week!
Useful link of the day: 10 Step Guide to the Likeable Hero
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